Style -- 9 days ago
Sophie’s Steakhouse and Bar, Chelsea
Words: Gentleman's Journal
311-313 Fulham Road, SW10 9QH, Tel: 020 7352 0088
Located towards the top end of the trendy Fulham Road in an area know as “the beach”, Sophie’s Steakhouse and Bar is named after its co-founder Sophie Mogford, who is the daughter of Jeremy Mogford, the man that founded the well known Brown’s chain.
Sophie’s has a New York warehouse styled décor with open brick walls, exposed piping and hanging light blubs. I am always wary when an establishment try’s to do this, as sometimes it can come across to cold or to try hard, however Sophie’s has got the balance spot on.
When you walk in you immediately notice the lively buzz in both the bar and the restaurant. There is a no booking policy, which seems to becoming more and more the norm around London. I personally hate this policy and hope it is just a passing trend. I hate the fact you got out to eat hoping to get a table, it seems ridiculous. However despite my dislike of this policy, at Sophie’s you don’t have to wait long and while you wait they have an excellent bar that serve some fantastic cocktails at reasonable prices.
When you are taken to your table the service is quick too and we found the staff friendly also, this in my view shows a well-trained front of house team. The menu is easy to read and has something for everyone including vegetarians, despite what you may be lead to believe from the restaurants name.
The starters range from £7 -£10, which is by no means cheap, however its by no means expensive also. We had the Traditional Prawn Cocktail, which was everything you would expect, the portion was generous and it was seasoned well too. My friend opted for House Cured Salmon that was well presented and the Sourdough Toast matched the Salmon perfectly.
On to the main and you guess it, we chose steak, why else would you walk in to a steakhouse? We went for the 20oz Châteaubriand for 2 that was priced at £54.95, and at £27.47 each you are expecting a lot, as this even by Chelsea standards is expensive. However we were not disappointed by the flavor, it was beautifully pink in the middle and was extremely tender and juicy, in fact I would go so far to say it is one of the best steaks I have had for a long time. My only little grim would be that there could have been a little more of it. For sides we had Hand-Cut chips and Thick cut onion rings, the onion rings were especially good.
They also have and impressive wine list with some great reds to match their juicy steaks. We decided to just go for the ‘Sophie’s Reserve Rouge’ 2010/2011 from Languedoc in France. We both thought this was and exceptional house red.
In summary then, yes it might be a little on the pricey side, but then you have to step back and think about the other establishment’s in the area. I would put my bottom dollar that no one could serve a steak as well as Sophie’s Steak House. So if you’re a real carnivore then Sophie’s is a must.
Become a Gentleman’s Journal Member?
Like the Gentleman’s Journal? Why not join the Clubhouse, a special kind of private club where members receive offers and experiences from hand-picked, premium brands. You will also receive invites to exclusive events, the quarterly print magazine delivered directly to your door and your own membership card.
